Discovering FC Santa Claus, the world’s most Christmassy soccer club: Where do they play?

The Christmas season has arrived and the name of Santa Claus will be on the lips of children across the planet with many celebrating the character who delivers gifts to millions of kids over the holiday season.

For a lower league football club in Finland Santa Claus is not only present at Christmas time but he lends his name to a team who currently play in the fifth tier of the domestic game but the club have made it as far as the third tier in their more than 30 years of history.

How did FC Santa Claus come about and what division do they play in?

FC Santa Claus came about following a merger of the teams from the northern Finnish city of Rovaniemi, which has historically been linked with the iconic Christmas figure of Santa Claus.

In 1992 Rovaniemen Reipas and Rovaniemen Lappi joined together to create a new team from their city, which was inspired by Santa Claus with red and white being adopted as the club colours and a Santa Claus figure adorned the club crest.

The club has seen three incarnations in their 31 years of history due to financial complications and have flitted around the lower divisions in Finland but have enjoyed spells in the third tier of the pyramid in the Nordic nation.

FC Santa Claus honors his character

Remaining true to the Santa Claus figure that lends his name to the club, the Rovaniemi based institution are renowned for carrying out charitable work and make donations from the sales they make throughout the season from replica shirts and club merchandise to help disadvantaged children around the world.